[Translated with Google]
Track activity continues for Round 1 of the WSK Super Master Series at the South Garda Karting in Lonato del Garda (Italy). After the first day on Friday, in which the qualifications and the first preliminary heats took place, on Saturday all the remaining heats were held for the six categories present in the race: KZ2, OK, OKJ, OKN-J, MINI Gr.3 and MINI Gr.3 U10. The starting grids for Sunday's prefinals were then decided.
KZ2: the new leader is Cristian Bertuca
Tires: Vega
- An absolutely perfect path for Cristian Bertuca (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) in the qualifying heats. The Italian proves to have a superior pace to that of the competition and achieves a haul of three victories out of three heats in total. The Birel Art Racing ace now leads the intermediate classification of the gear category.
- Markus Kajak (Maranello SRP Factory Team – Maranello – TM Kart) remains lurking, with a victory under his belt and second place behind Bertuca. No success, however, for polesitter Emilien Denner (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), now third.
- Daniel Stell (Dorr Motorsport – KR – IAME) and Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport – Sodikart – TM Kart) rose to fourth and fifth place respectively. Two second places and a fast lap for Pedro Hiltbrand (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart): the Spaniard is, however, sixth, thanks to the tenth position in heat A-C due to a 3-second penalty for an incorrect manoeuvre.
- Among many official drivers, privateer Andrea Dalè (Andrea Dalè – CRG – TM Kart) is seventh. A retirement in the second heat pushes Daniel Vasile (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) back to eighth place. Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) follows in ninth position.
- Tenth place for Alex Maragliano (Renda Motorsport – Sodikart – TM Kart), followed by Francesco Celenta (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) in 11th, by Samuel Luyet (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) in 12th and by Maximilian Schleimer (Maranello SRP Factory Team – Maranello – TM Kart) in 13th.
- Followed by Maksim Orlov (Modena Kart – Parolin – TM Kart), 14th, and Matheus Morgatto (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart), 15th. Further back we find Marijn Kremers (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 18th.
- Giuseppe Palomba (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart) is quite unlucky: he receives a 5 second penalty for the front nose in an incorrect position in the first heat, while he retires in the second. The Italian is now 29th.
- Matteo Viganò (CL Racing Team – Birel Art – TM Kart) also retired due to a technical problem and dropped to 21st place.
OK: Oleksandr Bondarev leaves crumbs to his opponents
Tires: LeCont
- Oleksandr Bondarev (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) keeps everything under control on Friday and Saturday. The polesitter nonchalantly wins all three scheduled heats, always with a significant gap over his pursuers. At the moment there doesn't seem to be anyone capable of opposing the Ukrainian tomorrow.
- Sebastiano Pavan (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) leads Bondarev's chasing team, with two victories and a fourth place in the only heat in which he raced against the Ukrainian. We remind you that the Italian, unlike his rival from Prema Racing, did not take part in the WSK Champions Cup last week.
- With a series of three second places, Anatoly Khavalkin (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) wins the temporary third position. Ean Eyckmans (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) is also in the Top 3 three times, but unlike the Parolin driver he has a third place in his record. The Belgian is therefore fourth.
- A victory is not enough for Salim Hanna (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) to maintain second place in the standings: in fact, the Colombian is currently fifth. Two positions less for Gerasim Skulanov (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart) and David Cosma Cristofor (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
- Kai Rillaerts (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) is tenacious in all the heats and this attitude rewards him with ninth position. Jakub Kamenik (DCR Motorsport – Tony Kart – TM Kart) completes the Top 10, tenth, preceding Roland Kuklane (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – TM Kart), 11th, and Xavier Avramides (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) , 12th.
- Thanks to a retirement in heat A-C, Albag Guy (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) did not go beyond 18th place. Further back was Jindrich Pesl (Monster K Factory Team – Intrepid – TM Kart), 33rd.
OKJ: Niklas Schaufler sets the pace
Tires: Vega
- Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing – KR – IAME) achieved a truly substantial haul in the qualifying heats. The Austrian, winner of the WSK Champions Cup, scores three successes and a second place and forcefully leaps to the top of the intermediate classification.
- Sebastian Lehtimaki (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) seems to be at ease on the Lonato del Garda circuit, where he won Round 1 of the 2023 WSK Final Cup. The Finn records two victories on Saturday and settles into second position.
- Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) showed a lot of determination in all four qualifying heats, managing to take victory in the last race on Saturday. The Italian climbs from tenth to third, ahead of teammate Arjen Kraeling (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), who did well to climb from 12th place to fourth.
- Christian Costoya (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) collected four fast laps but never a victory. He actually finished first in heat A-C, but suffered a 5-second penalty for the front nose in an incorrect position. The Spaniard loses the lead and drops back to fifth place.
- Among the protagonists of the WSK Champions Cup, Rocco Coronel (VictoryLane – KR – IAME) gains 7 positions and is sixth. Dries Van Langendonck (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart) wins the first three heats, but retires in the fourth and final: this misstep costs him the possible lead in the standings and relegates him, instead, to seventh place.
- Eighth position for Scott Kin Lindblom (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), ahead of Filippo Sala (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart), ninth, and Henry Domain (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM Kart), tenth. 11th Scott Marsh (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), 12th Endo Arata (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – Vortex).
- Left without a valid time in yesterday's qualifying, Dean Hoogendoorn (AKM Motorsport – KR – IAME) shows his muscles and recovers 61 positions, guaranteeing him the current 21st place.
OKN-J: Bogdan Cosma Cristofor is without rivals
Tires: Vega
- Nothing and no one seems to be able to hinder Bogdan Cosma Cristofor (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart). The Romanian, who scored the pole position in qualifying yesterday, wins all three scheduled heats and firmly maintains the lead in the intermediate classification.
- Nice step forward for Kacper Rajpold (MG Racing Team – Tony Kart – TM Kart), qualified ninth and now second. However, the Pole has a notable gap of 33 penalty points from leader Cosma Cristofor, the latter with zero points.
- The last heat on Saturday, which ended in 15th place, did not allow Sara Matsui (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) to maintain second place and instead fell to third place. Followed by Archie Lovatt (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart), fourth, and Pietro Bagutti (Gamoto – Tony Kart – TM Kart), fifth.
- Great work for Drew Walz (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart), from 17th to sixth. Alex Molota (Firefly Racing Team – Gillard – TM Kart) and Ludovico Mazzola (Stefano Mazzola – Exprit – Vortex) are seventh and eighth respectively.
- Ninth place for Gioele Carrer (Scarpi Racing – Parolin – IAME), followed by Luigi Antonio Cocchianella (Kidix – KR – IAME), tenth. Kais Aziza (Gamoto – Tony Kart – TM Kart) is 11th, while Valerio Viapiana (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) is 12th due to two retirements.
- Of note is a multiple accident at the start of the third heat, with the consequent withdrawal of 10 drivers: among these are Mazzola, Molota, Bagutti and Bruno Blanco (Intrepid Driver Program – Intrepid – TM Kart).
MINI Gr.3: Daniel Miron Lorente retains first place
Tires: Vega
- At the second race in MINI's "major" category, Daniel Miron Lorente (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) demonstrates that he is already at ease despite older and more experienced drivers. The Spaniard, in fact, wins two races and obtains an additional third place: enough to remain leader of the intermediate classification.
- With a victory under his belt, Daniil Kutskov (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) gains the temporary second position. 12 positions higher in the standings and a success for Nikita Ljubimov (Kalì Kart Racing – Kalì Kart – TM Kart), third.
- Fourth place for Oleksandr Legenkyi (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), followed in fifth by Cristian Blandino (Kalì Kart Racing – Kalì Kart – TM Kart) and in sixth by Mark Pilipenko (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME). Despite a third place as best result and a fastest lap recorded, Sofia Povazhnaia (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) relegated to seventh position.
- Alessandro Truchot (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) crossed the finish line first in heat B-C, but was penalized 5 seconds for contacts. The French-American therefore ranks eighth, the same position in the general.
- Nicola Stanley (Gamoto – EKS – TM Kart), ninth, impressed with 18 positions gained by both. Matteis Stigsen (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Kart), tenth, and Maxim Bobreshov (Fusion Motorsport – KR – IAME), 11th, both gained 13 positions.
- A step back for William Calleja (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) due to two unlucky heats, from third to 26th. Manuel Martufi (FK Motorsport – IPK – IAME) also drops significantly in the standings, from fourth to 30th.
MINI Gr.3 U10: Carl Nellegard and Niccolò Perico duel for the leadership
Tires: Vega
- After the surprising pole position recorded yesterday in timed practice, Carl nellegard (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – TM Kart) confirms all his value with two victories, a third place and a fast lap in the qualifying heats. The Swede is still first, but has the same penalty points as Niccolò Perico (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM Kart), second but classified third in qualifying.
- Three Top 3 results allow Lucas Palacio (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) to acquire third position in the intermediate classification. Jason Kosmopoulos (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Kart) is stable in fourth place, while Mason Robertson (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) gains five positions and is fifth.
- Also improving their situation in the ranking are David Moscardi (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM), sixth, and Leon Chelidze (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), seventh. Instead, thanks to a retirement in the first heat, Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) relegated from second to eighth.
- +12 positions in the standings for Seen Lindeman (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM), ninth, while Blazej Kostrzewa (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) is behind him, tenth. The “title” of best climber goes to Mark Loomets (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM Kart), from 57th to 15th.
©Photo: Sportinphoto